Soumaya Sahla
Dutch political scientist and convicted terrorist / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Soumaya Sahla (Dutch pronunciation: [suˈmaːjaː ˈsaːlaː]; born 5 July 1983) is a Dutch political scientist and radicalization expert.
Soumaya Sahla | |
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Born | Soumaya Sahla (1983-07-05) 5 July 1983 (age 40) The Hague, Netherlands |
Alma mater | Leiden University |
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Political party | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (c. 2017–2023) |
Family | Fonda Sahla (sister) |
Born in The Hague, Sahla was arrested in 2005, when she was living with Nouredine el Fahtni, a member of the Islamic terrorist cell Hofstad Network. She spent three years in prison for illegal firearms possession and membership of a terrorist organization. Her conviction was upheld in 2016 by the Supreme Court of the Netherlands.
Sahla started studying political science in prison, and she continued with a PhD at Leiden University in 2018. She became an active member of the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) in 2017 after she befriended its former leader, Frits Bolkestein. Allegations that she had used their relationship to obtain money, denied by Sahla, resulted in her expulsion from the VVD in 2023.